Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-12-13

when discerned from some far of
cycle, whose minutes are milenium-
aud one sweep OF the pendulum of
whose chronometer occupies ages. for
which the mathematics Of humanity
has no computation. Jacob WAS q pill
grim and asojourner In n strange land
far removed from his own happy
Canaan. So IL il with Us; we are "a
travellers, without any abiding place.
Here we have no continuing city;
from our birth until our death We
know not where the shades of night
may find us. Ever ache and pain,
every wrinkle that stamps itself upon
the brow reveals the uncertain tenure
Of our life and its Possessions; every
funeral bell that tolls reminds us that
we are mere tenants at will, pension
ers on the bounty Of an hour. =
We may be marching steadily on and
with defined purpose to that city
whose builder and maker Ia God, OF
simlessly wandering hither and
tLither in promiscuous psthlessness;
yes, We are pilgrims. There is no
rect, no peace, no stay. Even while
We sleep We are carried forward. We
are sojourners ~ all our fathers were;
traces of their stages through life are
Obliterated and forever gone. So will
ours be. We cannot use
earth as a home. We mistake the
great end Of life, when we try to settle
here. Yet some men act rs though
destined to stay forever.
dust thou art, and unto dust thou
shalt now return" is the sentence
pronounced against all humankind.
The decree is absolute. There Ia no
exception to the common lot? And.
yes, how truly has IL been said, thst
"All men believe all men mortal but
theii.elves?" And when death does
come, how often, how very, very
often, are people taken off quite un-
prepared! DIR. Hall, Lord Bishop OF
Norwich in the time of the Stusrts In
one of his books tells, in his quaint
way, the now well known anecdote OF
an English lord who had In his house
hold, as was usual in those days, q fool
or Jester. whom he held in high favor,
and TO whom he gave staff, set in sill
yer and adorned with bells. in sppre-
citation of the mans witticisms and
jests, which staff he babe him keep
until be found some fool more foolish
than himself. Time passed on. At
length it came TO pass that the noble
man W IA taken i'll. His case proved
hopeless and be lay on his dealh-bed.
HIS servants were called into his
chamber to bid him farewell, which
they did With tears. for he bad been =
kind master. Among the rest came
the Jester. II must go" said the dy'
Ing man, "a long journey to distant
land" my dear master" said the
fool, "tell me pray, haYe you made
all preparations TO be re,eivod well,
aud live in comfort in that far of
land?n Alas! No!n was the an.
swer, IL have neglected doing 30, and
il is too late for me TO make suitable
pr.psrations now" Then the Jester
taking his staff or bauble as IL was
called, thrust II into the sick mans
hand aud said: Take it, master
You told me to give IL to some man
more foolish than myself. You are
the one. You are about TO go out from
here, never to return, and have mads
10 preparation for the journey. Your
folly is IN deed greater than my folly
1t Is the very extreme Of foolishness.'
Yet sll that q man Is worth
when he dies, Is what he has ir
heaven. Earth IL Q visduct, a life ,
journey. We need only the conven
fences of travel, not the comforts Of .
home. We are attempting to reverse
the plans Of God, whenever we seeh
TO plant ourselves on earth Is III tt
rtay forever. "How old ar
tuou ?" The question reminds US
that time and opportunity are fas
passing away, that another ecclesiasti
cal year has passed and gone and th'
season of Advent is again upon us
warning the nations of the earth u
prepare for eternal judgment coming
quickly. by casting of the works o
darkness and putting on the armour o
light now IN the time OF this mortal life
You who have traversed th,
circle of transient interests and hav'
run of wherever the siren fortune ba,
called you; you VINO look for q Ions
life of enjoyment aud ease, have yot
ever thought that the brightest lamps
are ofleu quenched fret; that there are
limits set 10 human strength; that en-
ergy must svmelim,s iold Its tired
wings aud fall back bsffisJ? Or, viii
YOU wall until the nerves are torn and
the tim. OF separation comes, befor,